


How Steve met the boy next door: Sci-Fi Books, 80's Ballads, a flying arm and a Naked Guy.

by TracerBullet



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Bucky Barnes is a huge nerd, Demisexual Steve Rogers, Disabled Character, Flirty Bucky Barnes, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nick Fury has a pub, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, and amazing sci-fi books, and he's awesome, discussion of sexuality, mentions of horrible cheesy songs from the 80's, that still have health issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 08:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5961298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TracerBullet/pseuds/TracerBullet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>- I'm so sorry, Bucky.</p><p>These were the last words that Steve Rogers had said before being hit by a prosthetic arm. To be fair, he deserved that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>AU where Steve and Bucky live in buildings next to each other. And Bucky always change his  clothes with open windows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Steve met the boy next door: Sci-Fi Books, 80's Ballads, a flying arm and a Naked Guy.

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my mother language and I don't have a beta. So please forgive me if there is something not well written or if maybe it ended up sounding weird.
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: There is a certain passage in this fanfic where a man tries to put drugs in a girl's drink. I found important to tell if it is some kind of emotional trigger for someone.

\- I'm so sorry, Bucky.

  
These were the last words that Steve Rogers had said before being hit by a prosthetic arm. To be fair, he deserved that. Not that he expected to be attacked by a fake arm, a punch in the nose was the most likely thing to happen. Anyway, Steve felt extremely guilty for the situation reached that point. It had started nearly six months ago when _he_ appeared.

 

* * *

 

 

Steve didn’t considered himself an antisocial individual. He was born premature, too fragile. Some nurses believed he would survive only for a few days, maybe weeks. He had managed to exceed the expectations of many people (including his own mother) becoming a strong, healthy man. Well, he still needed to wear glasses and hearing aid in one ear, but could be considered healthy. Sometimes a breeze was enough to put him bed. Fearing that something bad happened to her son, Sarah Rogers kept him indoors under her watchful eye for many years. And even after the Sarah’s death and he became an adult, Steve kept indoors.

  
Steve liked to keep a simple routine. Every day he went out to run with his best friend Sam Wilson, then he would go to the gym and spend a whole hour beating the punch bag. Sometimes he went to the movies or the museum. Sometimes he just took his bike and went aimlessly through the city. Sometimes he went to the Irish pub on the corner. But most days were still passed with a book or his drawing tablet. His work as an illustrator didn’t require him to leave home often. Steve loved it.  
It was one of those days in his apartment that he had seen Bucky for the first time. A moving truck and a small purple car had stopped in front of the building next to Steve’s. Watching through the window, Steve noticed that there were three people: a petite redhead woman, a blond guy with muscular arms and another guy that Steve could not see his face because he was wearing a black hood and a baseball cap. While the red-haired girl and muscular guy trying to enter the building with a sofa, the other guy was carrying only one box. _Huh, weird._

  
After they have done all the heavy lifting, the girl and muscular guy left with the moving van, in the small purple car. Steve reached the obvious conclusion that just might be the guy with black hood that would live in that apartment. He returned to work, thinking maybe this was the last time he thought about the man from the building in the other side. Until three days later.

 

* * *

 

 

It was Thursday morning and Steve was already at his desk, the place he spent most of his days. After spending ten minutes checking his emails, Steve finally noticed the apartment building in the other side. It looked like someone was trying to grow a small vegetable garden on the fire escape. For some reason that touched Steve, making him smile a little.

  
He began to think about the kind of person who would live in that apartment. Maybe it was an old lady, or a single mother trying to have a closer experience of the suburbs or, at worst, one of those hipsters children. The gentrification of Brooklyn was attracting more and more that type of people. Steve kind of hated it. Luckily it was not an old woman, a single mother or a hipster.

  
A young man (no doubt the apartment resident) passed through the window to the fire escape. He sat on the stairs holding a mug and a bagel in his mouth. The young man was shirtless, barefoot and wearing only gray sweatpants. Even with a distance between those two buildings, Steve could see how attractive he was. Cleft chin, chesnut hair hanging down to about his jawline. And what a jawline. The lack of shirt also had him showing his abs. Steve felt ashamed to look at it for so long. And then he finally noticed his left arm. Or that specific case, the lack of it.

  
_"Maybe he's a veteran"_ , thought Steve. In the end, he didn’t spend much time thinking about the arm, but he also couldn’t take his eyes of that man. There was him, in the building in the other side, and sitting in a fire escape full of plants, wearing only sweatpants like he's just woken up. Probably, the inside of that mug and the bagel was his breakfast. So simple, yet so fascinating. If it was not creepy and a complete invasion of privacy, Steve would take a photo. Steve felt that this was one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever witnessed in his life.

 

* * *

 

 

Two days later, Sweatpants Guy regained the attention of Steve. As usual, Steve was sitting on his desk, is stressing because of the illustrations of the newest fantasy book for children. That book could be his Harry Potter. So how obviously this was an important job, Steve suddenly found himself uninspired and untalented. He wanted to scream or at least use all his strength in the punch bag, instead he procrastinated while making stern faces. Until he realized what Sweatpants Guy was doing in his apartment.

  
Because of the curtains open, Steve finally could see the inside of the apartment. From that viewpoint I could tell a few things: that window belonged to the Sweatpants Guy’s room. The walls were in the moss-green color and was covered with posters. Next to something that probably should be the bed, it was the wardrobe. Nothing special compared to the garden in the fire escape. That's what Steve thought until hee see Sweatpants Guy who obviously just came out of the shower. No shirts, no sweatpants, he only wore a towel... to dry his hair.

  
That scene had made Steve almost fell off his chair. If the neighbor had a beautiful face, his back couldn’t be different. He had broad and muscular shoulders, but not the type that came to be exaggerated. Steve's eyes try not to stick in the ass of a complete strange, but that was an almost impossible task. He was already dealing with a terrible guilt and the fact that an erection is growing slowly in his pants. _"Great. Now I'm officially a pervert!"_ , he muttered as he closed his courtains.

 

* * *

 

 

\- Oh God, what have I done to deserve this ?!

  
It had been nearly two months that Sweatpants Guy became Naked Guy. Shortly after Steve start working on his drawing tablet, he appeared. Always a towel to dry his hair and sometimes another in his waist, which was thrown on the bed seconds after he enter the room. Steve wondered if the man was not aware of all the neighbors of the building on the other side could see him or if that was just some sort of kink of the guy. Those voyeur things. Whatever the reason, it was leaving Steve's life very complicated.

  
Steve was not good at romantic relationships. He had only three crushes in his life. The first had been a redhead freckled girl named Abigail, or just Abbie. She was the daughter of one of Sarah’s best friends, who was also irish. Although she was a popular girl, Abbie always sat next to Steve during the lessons and invited him to all of her birthday parties. Steve loved the way she passed her fingers over the pigtails and showed a smile without the two front teeth.

  
The second crush was during the first year of high school. Her name was Akshita and she had a skin with the same color of hazelnut and big, beautiful brown eyes. Akshita was a senior and a had boyfriend who had gone to Massachusetts to study at MIT. Steve had no chance with a girl like her, but that didn’t stop him to fall hard for her. In the first week of freshman year Steve had arranged fight with two bullies, and was obviously getting ugly. So Akshita appeared and got rid of the two bullies. The two of them became friends at that time. Like Steve, she also had an aptitude for arts, she was a magnificent sculptor. At the end of the school year, when Akshita had graduated, he had been devastated and heartbroken for more than three months.

  
The last one was a woman named Seonmi, who works in the library of Steve’s college. Seonmi always found a way to talk to Steve or making him tell something about his life. Sometimes when Steve was studying late in the library, she appeared with a cup of coffee or a cereal bar. Unfortunately, she was twenty six years and Steve eighteen. It had taken a long time to forget her.

  
During the college years, after Steve have grown and gained muscle mass, he had slept with some girls. In the beginning was an attempt to trying to move one Seonmi, but then he just keep doing it just by curiosity. Now that he was considered attractive to most people, always had some girls (and some guys) asking if he wouldn’t like to spend the night with them. Steve had just saying yes to some girls, but somehow it never seemed all right. He always ended up kind of... _bored._

  
After sleeping with all kinds of girls, he had begun to think about his sexuality. Sex looked like some kind of joke that everyone thought was funny as Steve just stupid or too naive to understand it. The girls he had left seemed to like the things he did, while Steve wondered what the hell was happening to him feel so disinterested. Once he had gone out with a Korean girl who vaguely remembered Seonmi. During the whole thing, he thought of Seonmi and the first time he had been _really_ interested in sex. Unfortunately, after he move on completely, sex returned to be something boring.

  
_"Maybe I'm just looking for sex in the wrong place"_ , he had come to conclusion. For a long time Steve had tried to pay attention to other men. Some of them were attractive indeed, but still was not enough to let him interested. After reflecting on his boredom with sex with either gender, Steve decided to identify himself as asexual. Maybe he was not so enthusiastic about sex, but he wouldn’t giving up on finding the right partner.

  
Only two years later, after finding an article titled _"Let's talk about Demisexuality"_ Steve understood what was his sexual orientation. He returned to think about it and remembered the crushes of his life. Steve finally understood that the reason he get bored with sex was for him to do that with people that he had no emotional connection. If Steve had achieved something with Akshita or Seonmi, he probably would have liked sex as much as anyone. Give a label to that helped Steve to understand the man he was, therefore making him happier. Until he shows up and ruin everything.

  
Naked Guy was causing to Steve a great sexual crisis. For starters, he was the first man with whom Steve had been physically attracted. And the one who caused some kind of reaction to Steve without the two of them even exchanged a word. He didn’t know the guy, but sometimes he see the other guy watering that small garden or having breakfast on the fire escape or cleaning the room while listening to some music on headphones. The man gave little dance and pretended that the broom was a microphone. Steve had never seen anything so cute.

  
Steve didn’t know why the man locked so much his attention. Hell, maybe that was the opportunity that Steve found to act superficially the first time. Perhaps this was the moment that Steve found to care only about someone body, rather than the personality. He shook his head after releasing a pout. After all, who Steve was trying to fool? Naked Guy was bound to turn his crush number four. The most peculiar of all, no doubt.

 

* * *

 

 

5:00 AM. Sam had left town for a few days to go to the birthday of one of his nieces. Steve had been left without company for their morning walks in the park. He thought to take advantage of Sam’s absence to sleep a little longer, but his body clock hadn’t left out of the routine. Even in the cold, he was running like the wind, without getting bored.

  
After some time running Steve spotted another runner in front of him. Because of the hoodie that the man was wearing, Steve couldn’t see his face. Steve decided to approach and attempt a conversation. Who knows, maybe that stranger became a running mate in the future. Steve picked up the pace to meet with the man and say:

  
\- On your left.

  
\- On your right...? - replied the man, half uncertain.

  
Steve tilts his head to finally look the other runner. Within seconds the smile that was on his face disappeared, now he was with his heart in his throat. This was not just any runner, this was Naked Guy. Who closely it was even more beautiful, with that five o'clock shadow beard and those piercing blue eyes. He gulps, rapidly losing all his confidence.

  
\- Uh... I... - He was babbling. Before either of them could say anything Steve had fallen in the most ridiculous way on a bench. He had been so shocked to find that the runner was the Naked Guy that he hadn’t noticed the presence of one of those park benches. Fortunately, he hadn’t broken his nose or some tooth. But the glasses weren’t so lucky.

  
\- Holy shit, dude! - Naked Guy, shouted. - Are you alright?

  
\- Damn, my glasses. Definitely broken.

  
When Steve was helped to sit on the bench he noticed that the other man was wearing gloves on both hands. For a brief moment he wondered why Steve was finding it that so unusual, until he remembered: two hands. The sleeve of the sweatshirt and gloves made impossible to notice that he was wearing a prosthetic arm. Naked Guy probably shouldn’t feel comfortable exposing himself that way. What somehow came to be ironic, considering that he looked very comfortable in getting naked for a whole building.

  
\- Fuck, did you had a concussion? - said the man, passing his right hand across his forehead Steve. That simple contact made him shiver a little and his face heats. His skin was buzzing.

  
\- Mmm-hmm.... don’t worry about that. I mean, I'm fine. - he tried not to look in the eyes of the neighbor. – Thank you for your help.

  
The other man pulled away from Steve, and yet his eyebrows were knit in a worried manner. Probably the fall had seemed uglier than it actually was. He had never felt so embarrassed in his entire life. God, Steve had made a fool in front of _him_.

  
\- It's was nothing. - the other gave him a thoughtful look. - Listen, you need me to take you somewhere? The hospital, I don’t know, maybe your place? 'Cause, your glasses are broken and you probably can’t see shit. That could be dangerous, huh?

  
\- Y-yeah! - Steve almost screams, sounding far more excited than he should. He cleared his throat, trying to get back his composure. - I mean, better not risk it, right? If it is not a problem for you, you can take me home.

  
\- Fine, let's go to your place. Just give me the address or some points of reference.

  
Steve couldn’t help but feel an awful person. It was true that he couldn’t see well without glasses, but his vision was not so bad to the point of him having an accident in the home route. There he was, taking advantage of the kindness and worth of a good man, as he continued with that lie just to spend more time with his... well, crush. Yeah, Steve had to admit to himself that he had a crush on Naked Guy.

  
Naked Guy had been excited to discover that Steve lived in the building next to him. And Steve, the bastard, could only let out a _"What a coincidence, isn’t it?"_. Naked Guy grabbed Steve's forearm with his right hand (always right hand), intended to guide him in the best way. That made Steve’s cheeks burned. He knew he was acting pathetically, crushing this hard on a complete stranger. He just couldn’t help it.

  
\- Hey, pal, what's your name?

  
\- Oh, um, Steven. Steve Rogers.

  
\- James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.

  
\- Bucky? - Steve looked confused.

  
\- Long story. - Naked Guy, Bucky now, licked his lips and then gave a smirk. - That's something for the second date.

  
Damn, Steve was fucked.

 

* * *

 

 

Bucky Barnes, contrary to what Steve had expected, was the kind of guy who could captivate people in a very short period of time. Anyone who look at him having breakfast in the fire exit, with that distant look typical of a blasé character from a black and white movie, would thought he would never be that flirty and with a sharp wit. Unfortunately, that wasn’t so good for Steve, who had spent the whole way home wondering if Bucky was hitting on him or if he was acting as usual.

  
Bucky turns his thumb on Steve's forearm in a circular motion, almost as a gesture of affection. That left Steve surprised and made him so nervous that he had begun to stutter in the most ridiculous way possible. It was so typical of him doing something embarrassing in front of someone whom he liked.

  
With Bucky holding his arm, Steve could not help but notice that for other people in the street they should probably look like a couple. And then he thought how would feel like to kiss Bucky right there on the sidewalk. After that Steve chided himself for taking advantage (even if only in thought) of such a nice man. Steve decided to stop thinking about that.

  
Bucky, who obviously also was the speaker type, had told Steve that he had moved two months ago to Brooklyn. As his accent gave, he had lived in New York his whole life, but some incidents made him go back to Indiana. Steve thought it wouldn’t be polite to ask what were the "incidents".

  
\- Whoah, this place it's fucking awesome! - Bucky praised after Steve opened the door of his apartment.

  
\- Thanks, I guess. - Steve replied shyly.

  
\- What do you work with?

  
\- Well, uh, I work as an illustrator. I do the art of some children's books.

  
\- Something I know? - Bucky gave that teasing smirk again.

  
\- Taking into consideration that are children's books, you may not know anything. My most famous work was The Minotaur and The Three Dryads.

  
\- Of course I know that! My younger sister is twelve years old and she loves this books series. When she finds out that I met illustrator of the books she'll probably freak out.

  
\- You know, the author is one of my closest friends. I could send a copy to him autograph. If you want, I mean.

  
\- Are you serious? Of course, that would be great! - Bucky patted him on the shoulder. - Thanks, man!

  
\- Now we are even.

  
\- I don’t know, Steve. I don’t feel that even with you yet. - He lick his lips again. – How about you buy me a beer? Tonight, if you're not busy. Two blocks from here there is a very good Irish pub.

  
\- Oh, okay then. I mean, yeah, I'm free tonight.

  
Steve and Bucky exchanged their telephone numbers, and Steve couldn’t help but be excited about it. Like it was a huge deal. He knew that Bucky was probably just trying to be a nice guy or looking for a friend in the neighborhood, since the guy was new in the area. There was a voice inside him that kept saying to go out with Bucky might not be a good idea, considering that Steve had feelings for him and also had seen him naked. Without Bucky had knowledge. Steve decided to ignore that voice.

  
\- Well, we're neighbors now. You can visit me too, I live in the 107. Or maybe I appear here some time or another asking for a cup of sugar. - Bucky said, in that playful tone, already leaving the apartment Steve.

  
\- Maybe I give it to you.

  
\- Yeah? You're gonna give it to me? - Steve blinks. Did he...? No, he didn’t. Did he just...? He couldn’t. Steve probably only had interpreted it wrong. - Anyway ... Have a nice day, Steve. - Bucky said, before Steve could answer anything, and then left.

 

* * *

 

 

Steve was screwed indeed. It had been three months since the bench's incident. He and Bucky were hanging out together ever since. However, they had only sealed their friendship that night, when they meet in the Irish pub. Steve was a little nervous about meeting with Bucky again. He knew he could act in a kind way and be polite to other people, but fun and charismatic weren’t exactly his greatest qualities. Fortunately, Bucky was excellent in breaking the ice and he genuinely didn’t seem bored with Steve's talk. And they led a pleasant conversation for most of the night until something happens.

  
Bucky was telling, in an excited way, the story of the first time one of his best friends, Clint, got drunk. It was one of those crazy and funny stories that had made Steve almost crying with laughter. In the middle of the story, Bucky’s expression changed completely; he was now serious and angry. _"See that man over there on the counter?"_  , Bucky begun, pointing to a man who should be a little older than them. _"There was a girl talking to him. She went into the bathroom just now and I'm sure the guy put something in her drink"_. It was a friday night and the pub was busy, the bartender probably hadn’t seen that. Steve, that was a regular, knew him. He knew that Nick wouldn’t let something like that happen in his bar.

  
Steve barely waited for Bucky stop talking, not realizing he was on his feet, approaching this guy. The girl who was with the guy, that had probably just turned twenty-one, appeared at the same time. _"Ma'am, I advise you not to touch that bottle. My friend just saw this guy putting something in your drink"_ , said Steve looking directly at the man. Steve heard a small _"Yeah!"_ behind him, then he realized that Bucky had followed him.

  
Seeing the serious features of both of them, she realized that they had spoken the truth. The man obviously had tried to defend himself, contesting that Bucky was lying or had seen something wrong. _"Yeah, I saw something wrong. I saw a giant piece of shit putting the roofie in her drink”_ , Bucky replied with hatred in his eyes. The girl, that was so angry and disgusted as the both of them, just slid the beer bottle to the guy and asked him to drink it since he obviously hadn’t put anything there.  
The guy who knew he had been caught, hadn’t seen other choice but to run. Steve, who was closer to him, tried to hold him, but the guy had just punched him in the eye. Take a punch in the eye while wearing contacts hurt, it hurt a lot. Bucky, who was a much better fighter than Steve even without an arm, avenged Steve punching the guy followed by a kick in the stomach. The whole bar was watching them, shocked and scared at the same time. The girl, from what Steve had managed to see, was telling the situation to Nick, who immediately had taken a baseball bat from under the counter.

  
Some customers had probably called the police, because the first thing Nick had told Steve was _“Rogers, you and your friend need get the fuck out of my bar **right now** if you guys don’t feeling getting arrested. Go! I will take care of the girl and of this motherfucker here”_. Steve nodded and they ran like crazy. When Bucky finally been able to take a look in Steve’s eye, he decided to take him immediately to the hospital. And it was like that that their night ended: in the emergency room, Steve with a black and swollen eye and Bucky laughing at the Steve’s terrible fighting skills. They had become good friends there.  
Bucky now and then appears and spends time in Steve’s apartment. Always with a long-sleeved shirt and gloves. It was autumn, but that didn’t justify the fact that he was wearing gloves indoors. There was a small understanding between them, and even without saying anything, Steve knew that he had to wait for Bucky told him about the prosthesis. Bucky was thankful for Steve to be ignoring it politely.

  
Steve also went to the 107 a few times. Bucky's apartment, in fact, wasn’t as big as his, but it was warm and cozy as his. He loved going there because it was like he knew a little more about the man and unravel the puzzle that was Bucky. The apartment was full of books everywhere. Most were science fiction books which Steve hadn’t read or even heard of. Steve usually read more biographies and books like _All The President's Men_. _"I cannot believe that you've never heard of Dune or the Foundation series. Okay, seriously, it's my civic duty to give you some of these books to read!"_ , exclaimed Bucky.

  
That same day he returned home with the first book in the _Dune_ series, _The Stars My Destination_ (which according Bucky was kind of scifi version of _The Count of Monte Cristo_ ), and another one called _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ , that Steve discovered later that it was the book that Blade Runner was based. Bucky was right, those books were incredible. Steve even spent the night awake trying to finish _Dune_. That left Bucky so glad he decided to borrow Steve more books.

  
Steve also shows a bit of his world to Bucky. He and Bucky watched again all the six movies of _Rocky Balboa_ and heard all the songs that Steve had on his iTunes. Steve's musical taste was divided into two topics: jazz from the 40's and cheesy ballads from the 80's. Despite having laughed a bit of the ballads, Bucky accepted the songs quickly.

  
The two had known each other very recently, but it seemed so much more to Steve. In little time Bucky had won the affection and trust that before had only been conquered by Sam and his own mother. Bucky, however, still didn’t seem to fully trust Steve, since he was still obviously hiding important parts of his life to Steve.

  
Sometimes Bucky appears in Steve's door with a straight face. These days he just sat on the couch, thoughtful and without speaking a word. The first time it happened, Steve almost had an anxiety attack. He wondered if Bucky expected him to say something, something that comforted somehow. But the idea was dropped when he realized that Bucky wasn’t looking for words of support and some tapping on his shoulder. _"Do you mind if I put some music on, Buck?_ ", the other man just nodded. Steve just sat down beside him and began to read one of his borrowed books. They continued in silence until the stereo playing _Making Love Out Of Nothing At All_ , which made Bucky laughed instantly. _"Really, Stevie, Air Supply?!"_ , said Bucky, with a coyly smile. Steve was relieved to see him smiling again.

  
There was also the fact Bucky never mentioned in what he worked. Steve assumed he had a job because he always left home in the morning and came back a little after five. Steve tried not to feel hurt by Bucky continue hiding important things from him, since he himself was also hiding some things from Bucky.

  
Surprisingly, Bucky remains completely oblivious to the fact that he could be seen naked by everyone in the building in the other side. So he kept changing clothes with the windows open. Steve hadn’t the courage to tell this to the other man, because he knew how it would sound creepy. He had looked Bucky and liked what he had seen. Bucky had become even more attractive to Steve after they began to live and to discover small details of each other's lives. Because of this, Steve decided to keep the curtains closed for full-time.

  
It was a common Tuesday for two of them. Bucky was lying on the couch while reading one of the comic books from Steve’s shelf, _Bitch Planet_. That was Steve’s indication. Steve was sitting, reading the last book of _Foundation_ (because there were more than three books) resting on Bucky's legs. _Head Over Heels_ (or as Bucky called, "that Donnie Darko song") was playing on the stereo. Steve had, after months, another reflection about his sexuality.

  
He looked at Bucky stretched on his couch, with a small smile. Steve thought about how lucky he was. He could have been born in 1918, he could have been born in the year 2859, but he had the privilege of being born at a time that he could know Bucky Barnes. Sometimes Steve wanted to kiss him and touch him, sometimes Steve just wanted to be near him. Maybe that "attraction at first sight" for Bucky not befitted in what the demisexuality preached and Steve was fine with that. Having a label was essential for a moment in Steve's life, when he felt bad for not being like the others. Now he understood how sexuality could be fluid. And most important: his love for Bucky didn’t need labels.

  
Love. It was strange the way as Steve didn’t dare use that word even in thought. Sometimes he tried to block those feelings for the sake of their friendship, but they were in vain attempts. Bucky occupied a very large space Steve's life. He didn’t want to lose one of his best friends. He would love to be Bucky’s boyfriend and be able to kiss him and hold his hand, but he would never ask for something that Bucky couldn’t give him. Yeah, he was screwed.

 

* * *

 

 

\- Bucky, are you okay?

  
That was almost a rhetorical question. Steve had called Bucky intending to invite him to take a few drinks in the pub (now that they were allowed to return there) but a coughing Bucky was who had answered the phone. The breathing also seemed irregular.

  
\- No, Stevie, I'm horrible. I woke up feeling like shit. - he said on the other side of the line, with a nasal voice. - I think I caught a cold or something. Ugh, I don’t even have the strength to get out of bed.

  
\- I could go there and bring you some chicken soup. And, you know, maybe take care of you.

  
- _NO!_ \- Bucky practically shouted. - No, no, no. I don’t want you to see me in this state. Not to mention that I don’t want you to take something from me. Have you not had enough diseases for a lifetime?

  
\- Okay, if that's what you want. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?

  
\- Um... I don’t know. Talk to me?

  
\- Ok, ok, let’s talk. I had an idea: how about we play the twenty questions game?

  
\- What about only ten questions? Five for you and five for me.

  
\- Fine. But this can be tedious for you, since I already told you my whole life. - Steve was lying, but it is not as if he could tell about his immense passion for Bucky. - I can start?

  
\- Yes.

  
\- Well, um, sometimes I see you out in the morning and then you spend the entire day out. Where are you going?

  
There was a short silence then. He could hear the Bucky breathing across the line, but nothing more. Steve felt a chill go down his spine. Did he have exceeded the limits and left Bucky offended? He cursed himself mentally for having such a stupid idea. He had screwed it all, he was screwed, he—

  
\- Work, obviously. - Bucky said suddenly, without any sorrow or anger. - Now it's my turn: You really liked my books or you just keep reading it for fear of hurting me or something?

  
Steve frowned. Bucky really believed he spends three months reading all those books out of pity? Of course, a part of Steve loved to see Bucky reaction after he said how much he liked those books, but most of books in Bucky’s collection were full of very interesting social criticism.

  
\- Bucky, what are you talking about?! I love your books. If I were lying, you’d know. I'm the worst liar ever. - He heard Bucky give a little sigh, as if he was relieved. - So ... what do you do?

  
\- I work in a garage, I'm a mechanic. - He hesitated, sounding extremely nervous. - As soon as I moved down here I had a little trouble finding a job, ya know? After my incident, people didn’t care if I was one of the best mechanics, no one wanted to hire me. But I found this place in which most employees are veterans, then they accepted me as one of them. We are take care of each other as a family.

  
\- I'm glad that everything has worked out for you. But let me tell you something: you can also count on me. There is nothing you can tell me that would makes me want to stop being your friend. I'm by your side.

  
\- Thanks, Steve. That means a lot to me. - He coughed a few times, but not enough to make Steve concerned. - Ugh, this sucks. Can you do all the talking now? I'm a little tired.

  
\- What do you want me to talk?

  
\- Let me see... Which book are you reading now?

  
\- _Planet of the Apes_. It's really good, though.

  
\- Cool. You could read it to me? You can pick up where you stopped it.

  
\- Fine, Buck. - He released a little breathy chuckle. - Let me just get the book.

  
Steve went to his room, where Planet of the Apes was already on his bedside table. He lay on the bed, took the book and put the phone on his shoulder so that Bucky could hear his voice better. When he was already preparing to read, Bucky started sneezing again and again. Steve waited for him to compose himself and asked again if he was okay. The other man replied telling him to just start reading the damn book.

  
\- Ok, I stopped in the fifteenth chapter. - He adjusted his glasses, cleared his throat and began to read. - _Three figures were coming down the passage: Zira, the female chimpanzee, and two other apes, one of whom was plainly in a high position._

  
And so they continue it for hours. Sometimes Bucky stopped to sneeze or cough, but most of the time he listened to Steve’s words closely. Steve, on the other hand, focused his attention on Bucky’s breath. He didn’t want his friend to pass through that disease alone at home, but here was something that made his heart melt for doing that to Bucky. It was almost like Bucky was beside him in bed, with his head leaning on his shoulder. Steve felt comforted too. He probably never loved him as much as now.

  
- _Zira asked me why I was looking so sad. I told—_

  
Steve stopped suddenly when he heard some noises on the other side of the line. Yep, Bucky was definitely snoring. It was late, indeed. When looking at the wall clock of his room, Steve realized that it was almost three in the morning. He didn’t feel tired, but it was totally understandable that Bucky was already exhausted because of his cold. Steve called Bucky a few times to make sure he had fallen asleep for real.

  
\- Have a good night. - he sighed heavily. - 'Love you, Buck.

 

* * *

 

 

\- Ugh. Who is it? - Bucky voice seemed hoarse over the intercom.

  
\- It's Steve. I brought you some chicken soup.

  
\- Steve, I told you last night that I didn’t want you to come here. I don’t want you to take something from me, pal.

  
\- I don’t need to enter your apartment, I just need to leave it on your door and you can even get it.

  
\- Fine, whatever. - said Bucky and the gate of the building opened for Steve.

  
Steve entered the building, but not only taking chicken soup. He carried in a bag: Kleenex, one cough syrup and a red scarf bought especially for Bucky. It was almost winter and Steve didn’t want the other man not be warm enough. Under his arm there was also _Planet of the Apes_ , that Steve had finished reading late at night.

  
When he reached Bucky’s apartment, Steve deposited the bag, the book and the container in which he had put the soup on the floor. He gave two knocks on the door to say he had left things and then turned to leave the building. Steve couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot. During last night he had taken an important decision: when Bucky gets better, Steve would call him for a date.

 

* * *

 

 

Nine days later, Steve found Bucky out of his building. He touched his right shoulder (always right), making the brunette finally noticing him. Bucky immediately smiled when they noticed it was Steve. That had made Steve’s heart beat faster. He was so in love with Bucky.

  
\- Hey! How are you?

  
\- Better, thanks to you. I wanted to thank you for bringing all those things to me. - he laid his right hand on the shoulder of Steve. - You are a very kind man, Steve.

  
Steve sighed. He was preparing himself for nine days to call Bucky for a date, but the practice seemed much more difficult than the theory. Either way, he wouldn’t let that opportunity pass. Steve had thought a lot about he and Bucky. The idea of losing Bucky without at least trying something made his mouth feel a bitter taste. Steve didn’t want Bucky became one of his impossible crushes. Steve wanted to fight for him.

  
\- You’re going somewhere? - Steve asked, finally noticing that Bucky was holding a basket full of clothes with the other hand.

  
\- To the laundry. Washing machines in my building are totally fucked.

  
\- Hey, if you want... – Steve started, rubbing at the back of his neck. – If you want, you’re welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the laundry.

  
\- Yeah, what’s it cost? – Bucky gave a smirk.

  
\- A cup of coffee? - he looked hopefully to Bucky, trying not to appear too nervous.

  
\- Awesome. Win-win situation for me.

  
Bucky follow Steve to his apartment. He continues talking to Steve quite naturally, while Steve was trying to hide his shaking hands. He helped the other man to use his washing machine and then sat on the couch nervously. Bucky appeared in the room a few minutes later with a completely different expression. Steve tried to decipher it until Bucky remained on his knees, getting at the same height as Steve, and then kissed him.

  
They stayed a while like that, just kissing, until Bucky decide to join Steve on the couch, getting on top of him. The brunette started to kiss Steve’s neck, making him give one little high pitched noise. Within minutes Bucky started grinding slowly, leaving Steve hard as rock.

  
Feeling Bucky’s erection in his thigh was enough for Steve moan loudly. The only thing he could do was grope Bucky's ass, in trying to bring him closer. He was about to come when Bucky distanced himself from Steve and stood next to the sofa.

  
\- I have to tell you something.

  
\- And it has to be now?! - he was whining.

  
\- Yes. - Bucky said, giving a quick kiss on his lips. - Right. Ya know, I always tell you about my little "incident", but I never really talked about it. It happened last year, when I decided to visit my parents at Christmas. I decided to hit the road, ignoring all that snow and ended badly. I ended up losing control of the car and overturning. When I woke up, I found out I was in the hospital for two weeks and I had lost something.

  
Bucky began to undress slowly. First the glove and then his shirt. It was the first time that Steve saw him without his shirt so close. He was stunning, Steve wanted to touch him everywhere, kiss him, even draw him. He was a masterpiece in human form. Steve exhales heavily, excitedly. Until he realized: Bucky was hoping for Steve's reaction to the lack of the left arm and the prosthesis. He didn’t know that Steve knew.

  
\- I didn’t want to keep this a secret from you for so long. But, ya know, I didn’t want you to treat me as a invalid and... - he rubbed his hands on his jeans. - God, you're so fucking hot. I probably still wouldn’t have a chance with you with my two arms. Steve? Please say something.

  
Steve dropped his eyes, being involved by a wave of guilt. There was Bucky, standing near him, showing his softer side to Steve. Probably wondering how he was so inferior to Steve. While Steve continues hiding from Bucky the countless times he had seen him naked from his window. He basically was taking advantage of Bucky’s feelings. He was a horrible person, horrible-

  
\- This is horrible. - Steve let slip. Bucky had a sad face now. He looked heartbroken. Steve finally realized his mistake. - I mean-

  
\- I see... - he shook his head slightly, as if he was trying not to cry. - For a moment I thought you would accept me. - he huffs. - Man, am i not crazy to imagine that?! But you know what, Steve? I'm done with this bullshit. I'm tired of wearing gloves and that damn prosthesis to "look normal" for the rest of you people.

  
\- I'm so sorry, Bucky. - Steve was about to explain the whole situation when was hit by Bucky’s prosthetic arm. The impact made his glasses crack a little bit.

  
\- You can keep it. You or anyone else that have a problem with my missing arm can go suck a dick. Goodbye, Steve. - he started to leave, but Steve had touched him on the shoulder. On the left side for first time.

  
\- Bucky, Buck, please don’t go. I don’t care that you don’t have an arm. All this time it was me who thought not to be enough for you. I mean, look at you, you're so gorgeous. When you took your shirt the first thing I thought was that, how perfect you are. The way you are now, neither more nor less. - He looked down. Bucky’s expressions softened. He didn’t seem angrier. - What I said before was not because of your arm, it was about something I did. Yeah, I kind of got something to tell you too.

 

* * *

 

 

\- Oh my God.

  
\- So you never noticed?

  
\- What do you think, Steve? I'm not a pervert, of fucking course I never noticed! I just, ya know, like a lot of the daylight and leave the curtains open all the time. I never stopped to put the pieces together. - Bucky covered his face with his hand. - Shit, this is so embarrassing.

  
Steve gave a little kiss on Bucky’s left shoulder. He couldn’t deny he was happy that Bucky have forgiven him for acting like a jerk. Not to mention that his body was still on fire due the hot makeout session in the couch. He couldn’t hide his happiness, his face has a hugely grin.

  
\- You didn’t do anything wrong. If anyone should be embarrassed it should be me. I should have told you that I could see you from my window. But I was afraid you react badly and find me kind of a stalker.

  
\- You, a stalker? Right. - Bucky laughed. And then he looked at Steve in a different way. He licked his lips and then he was close enough that their legs could fit. - So, you like what you saw?

 

\- Ahhh, just like that. Oh my God, Bucky! Buck, don’t stop! _God, Bucky!_

  
Bucky get off Steve slowly. Steve was panting and covered in sweat. He was exhausted as if he had just run a marathon. He couldn’t get out of bed even if I wanted. He was still processing the fact that he just had a mind blowing sex. Steve had always thought that he had some median level sex in his life, but he was wrong. Compared to what he just did with Bucky, what he had during his college days shouldn’t even be called sex.

  
\- Damn, Stevie, I didn’t know you were the religious type. - Bucky giggles. – And the screaming type. - Bucky leaned his head on Steve's shoulder and wrapped his arm around his waist.

  
\- Believe me, neither do I. It is that you are very, very good at this. - Steve kissed his sweaty forehead. - I hope the neighbors haven’t called the police or something.

  
Cuddling with Buck was a dream come true. There was Steve, after having the best sex ever, hugging the love of his life. He was probably close to reaching the nirvana in that way. Steve used his other hand to stroke Bucky’s hair. Bucky seemed to approve it since he immediately loosed a groan. Steve continued to do it, grinning like a madman.

  
\- Mmm-mm, that's good. - Bucky closed his eyes for a few seconds. - This is all so surreal, I still can’t believe that Steve Rogers likes me.

  
\- Why shouldn't I? I'm crazy about you, Bucky

  
\- Well, for starters , you continued to politely ignore all my flirtations.

  
\- Wha? What are you talking about?

  
\- Steve, since I met you I've been trying to make it clear how interested I was in you. For example, the same week we met I showed up at your apartment asking you for a cup of sugar. Sugar, Steve! This is code for "I want to sleep with you, neighbor". And then, just to put the icing on the cake, after that I still said "How can I repay you?" And you answered me that it was not necessary, it was only your duty as a neighbor. I mean, I was offering you a blowjob and you just reject me.

  
\- Fuck, I'm a idiot. - he looked at Bucky. - I wasn’t rejecting you, I'm just stupid. I thought you wanted me to pay with cash. If you told me that it was a blowjob I would definitely accept it, Buck. You have to believe me.

  
\- Steve, you fucking dork. - Bucky gave a nasal laugh and gave a kiss on Steve's cheek. - Only you would think of such a thing. I can’t complain too much, this is kind of the reason that makes me so in love with you.

  
Steve hugging him harder, trying to lock himself in that moment. He had never been so happy in his entire life.

  
\- I love you too, Bucky.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading it! (:


End file.
